The price of some North Carolina fruit and vegetables sold under a popular federal school lunch program has nearly doubled since the U.S. Department of Defense hired a Guilford County company to help save money.

A new $4.30-a-case surcharge is being levied by Foster-Caviness Foodservice of Colfax. That's in addition to a 5.9 percent charge Defense Department purchasing agents were already tacking on to every fruit and vegetable transaction made under the federal "farm-to-school" program.

Almost half of the students in our public school system are on a free/reduced lunch program. For many, school meals are the most nutritional meal they eat. Reducing the amount of fruits and vegetables served at school will adversely affect the health of these students.

It’s a double loss for North Carolina because the program benefited local farmers as well as school children.

Popeye would never stand for this kind of bullying and we shouldn’t either.